the first Certified Passivhaus in England, by Seymour-Smith Architects

1st April 2010

We have a floor at last! It will be sanded to expose the aggregate, and then coated for protection.

4th April 2010

Having a lovely time over Easter making pretty patterns with the sanding machine...

6th April 2010

Followed by the much-anticipated arrival of our splendid Kuche kitchen. Finally getting down to fixtures and fittings is immensely satisfying. The end really is very nearly in sight now...

9th April 2010

Astonishingly, this is the first moment the renderers have been able to come back for a good clear run at the rendering since Christmas. It’s been too cold for much of the time, and when not cold, raining. Indeed we even had hail here last week.

The kitchen has all gone in smoothly, and we’re completely thrilled with how it’s looking.

With the Grand Designs crew filming today, it’s amusing to see all the smart new logos on T-shirts and jumpers: Paul and Steve of Kuche doing a stunning job with the kitchen;

Freddie of Cotswold Green Energy plumbing in the stove back-boiler;

and George’s “Cotswold Electrical Contractors” logo looks quite subtle, until you see the back...

...proudly sported here by Graeme.

16th April 2010

The renderers have worked their magic, and the entrance area is now looking very crisp and beautiful. Even, dare I say it, quite finished...

and inside, Graeme & co have finished installing conduits, and are now busy pulling cables throughout the house.

21st April 2010

Very satisfying to see the first bathroom taking shape...

and indeed the first bit of bathroom tiling ready for grouting.

22nd April 2010

feels splendid to be finally getting to the internal finishes, not to mention a bathroom that looks like it may be functional relatively soon...

27th April 2010

The excitement of the Corian worksurfaces arriving is only slightly marred by the fact that one of the pieces broke in transit – however, it’s relatively easily fixed...

The worktop is too long to be made and transported all in one, so it’s made in smaller bits and joined together on site.

They have a crafty method of sticking the bits of Corian together and sticking blocks on to clamp it tight. Once the glue has dried, the blocks are knocked off, and the surface is sanded leaving the joint totally and completely invisible.

28th April 2010

At 12 metres long, this is a big kitchen with lots of jointing and sanding to do…

but we’re really pleased with how it’s coming together

This is the repair to the corner of the sink (obviously work in progress!). It really is astonishing how a new piece can be cut in like this and then made completely invisible.

The Utility Room meanwhile is fast filling up with water-related gubbins – borehole pump, water treatment, water softener, pressure vessel…